History of medical practice in Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

Medical Education in Illinois 433listened to the matchless medical oratory of Nathan Smith Davis, the Nestorof the medical profession, to Hosmer A. Johnson, with his polished addressand graceful personality, as well as to the practical, forceful dictionof the great surgeon, Edmund Andrews. Each had been impressed by theirideas and idealism, and filled with aspirations to emulate their charactersand reputation and to become surcharged with their professional spirit andenthusiasm for the profession of medicine. Even as we strove to forget someof their prescriptions and lectures a few years later, we could forget thelectures, but never the men who had left the impress of their personality onour formative minds.To Earle must be given the credit of first broaching the question of establishinga new medical college in Chicago on the west side of the City, nearthe Cook County Hospital. In 1876 he began to agitate the project ofestablishing a new medical college adjacent to the County Hospital, butnotwithstanding his energy, enthusiasm, and courage, he did not succeedin interesting a sufficient number of suitable people in the enterprise tomake a successful start, so the project was dropped for five years.Early in1881, he spoke to A. Reeves Jackson about the advisability ofstarting a new medical school adjacent to the County Hospital, and Jackson,who was a lecturer in Rush Medical College, readily assented to Earle'sproposition. After several conferences and prolonged discussions, a preliminarymeeting was held May 4, 1881, in the Grand Pacific Hotel,Chicago, to consider establishing a new medical school in Chicago.The time was propitious. The growth of the city had been phenomenaland many of the leading medical men of the city, not then connected withexisting medical colleges,foresaw that Chicago was bound to become agreat medical center. At this preliminary meeting four of the foundersand three men not subsequently connected with the enterprise were present.Dr. Jackson was chosen president and Dr. Steele secretary of the meeting.After a full discussion of the question it was considered advisable toorganize a new medical school in Chicago, having for its aim the elevationof medical scholarship. On motion of Dr. McWilliams, the embryonic medicalventure was christened "The College of Physicians and Surgeons ofChicago," and this name was retained until 1913, when the college wasaffiliated with the University of Illinois, when it became known as the Collegeof Medicine of the University of Illinois. Drs. Jackson, Earle, and thewriter were appointed a committee to procure a license and to incorporateunder the general State law. Dr. McWilliams was made chairman of a committeeto look up a suitable location and ascertain the price of ground forthe college site; and still another committee, of which the writer was chairman,was appointed to report on chairs, lectureships, etc., and to suggestthe names of suitable persons to fill them.